By: Penni Louise & Layhoon Kasa
The term “sports massage” often conjures images of professional athletes and that one friend you have who climbs 14’ers on a regular basis. However, according to massage therapist Layhoon Kasa, sports massage is really for anyone who is active. Furthermore, under the umbrella term of “sports massage” is the treatment of injuries, which can happen to everyday people from everyday activities. As Layhoon explains, sports massage encompasses different aspects: event preparation, event recovery, maintenance/conditioning and injury treatment.
Pre-event massage tends to be quicker and more focused, with the goal of getting the body ready to do work. Preparation massage can be on just one specific area of the body and is sometimes short and quick, depending on how close to the event the massage is happening. The massage techniques used are also different, for example a ‘jostling’ stroke, which tends to be faster. The depth of pressure may be more superficial than usual, just aiming to get the blood flowing to that area. If the pressure is too deep, there may be excessive toxins pushed into the blood stream or the person may feel achy later, which is not helpful with an event coming up.
Deep pressure is also not always used for post-event massage either, as the focus is to ‘cool-down’ the body. The person may be very fatigued, their muscles sore or in spasm from over-use. The massage strokes used depend on the body’s condition. Compression may be used, rather than long Swedish-style strokes, which can aggravate the muscles in that circumstance. The post-event massage may be slower, with lighter pressure and the focus on relaxing and releasing the muscles.
Conditioning or maintenance massage is for people who aim to improve their overall performance in their chosen activity by balancing what they do with their body. When a person is training for a specific action or motion, for example, having a great golf swing, they are constantly using the same muscles. To think of it simply, working a muscle is contraction; to get a massage is the stretch. Even if the activity is carrying your baby on your hip, the same muscles are working (contracting) in the same pattern over and over again.
Maintenance massage helps the person recover from the previous activity and prepares them for the next. Regular massage can be a key contributing factor to the person’s practice and, if applicable, reaching that goal they have for their bodies – even of the goal is to prevent an injury as your baby gets heavier! Most people don’t think about getting a massage until they are in pain, rather than using massage as a tool to prevent injury.
Injury treatment depends on how acute the injury is and how recent the injury happened. In some cases, treatment is not directly on the injured area. Instead, it may be on the areas around the injury that may be tense from supporting the injured area, to bring blood flow to the injury and relief to the support areas. Treatment may include lymphatic drainage to help aid recovery, or stimulation around the area to encourage the nerves to regenerate, with the depth of pressure depending on the injury. Typically, LayHoon likes to work with a treatment goal in mind and often incorporates ice into her therapy to minimize inflammation. Communication is also a key factor for treating injuries as this helps the massage therapist accurately assess the most appropriate treatment. The amount of time lapsed since the injury will also play a role, as a 3-day old injury is approached very differently than that hamstring you pulled in high school. Emotion around the injury is also a factor, as injuries can cause stress and upset feelings, so the relaxation and calming effects of massage are very beneficial.
LayHoon advocates that the earlier you start treating the injury, the sooner you will recover. The body will often hold an injury over many years if not addressed and treated. Layhoon herself injured her back recently but started treatment the next day, with massage therapy and chiropractic treatments every other day, and stretching at home. Within 11 days she was back at work (giving massages!) pain-free, which is pretty incredible. LayHoon notes that the injury happened from a specific incident, but previous to that, she had been receiving bi-monthly massage over a long period of time, but due to scheduling had stopped getting massages. The tension in her had back built up without regular massage, and two months later her back ‘gave-out’. Regular massage reminds the body to stay flexible and relaxed, rather than stressed and contracted. Maintenance massage is also a great way to check-in with the body, noting how you’re using it, abusing it, or over-using it.
Get more information on LayHoon Kasa, CMT.
